Nickel or palladium is the alloy used when mixed with gold that turns the yellow gold to white gold. Some people find that they are allergic to the nickel. If allergic, the location under the ring or bracelet, for instance, will turn a black color or raised blisters will appear. Taking the jewelry off over a short period of time will cause the black to disappear and allow the blisters to heal. Because of allergic reactions, it is a good idea to wear platinum instead if it fits in your budget. Platinum comes out of the ground as a pure white metal and no one is allergic to it.

Rose and Pink Alloys

Copper is the alloy used to turn yellow gold to rose or pink gold. The more copper used, the more intense the rose color it becomes.

If you are looking to purchase an antique looking engagement ring, why not buy the real thing. Nothing matches the delicate workmanship and one of a kind designs.

The most popular diamond engagement rings come from the Victorian era, the Art Nouveau period, the Edwardian period and the Art Deco time period. Actual antique diamond engagement rings from these times will be delicate. And, of course, you will be getting a period piece of one of a kind jewelry. You will not see any duplicates.

Finding a diamond engagement ring from the Victorian Era (1837-1901), can be more difficult to find than other time periods, but when you do they will primarily be made of gold with floral designs, fine scroll work and animal themes.

The Art Nouveau period (1890-1905) produced 14 karat or 18 karat diamond engagement rings with flowing, curvy lines and organic designs such as birds, butterflies, and flowers like poppies, orchids or irises.

Edwardian engagement rings (1901-1914) will be designed primarily in platinum with filigree, bows, honeycomb patterns, the look of flower garland or scalloped edges. Colored gemstones such as synthetic sapphires, natural rubies or emeralds were sometimes used to accent the jewelry design.

The Art Deco period (1920-1935) primarily produced diamond engagement rings in 18 karat or platinum. You can find your ring designed with diamond flecked filigree, which looks like lace work or possibly flowers. During this time period, gemstones such as synthetic sapphires were primarily used, but you can find engagement rings accented with rubies or emeralds as well. Diamond engagement rings during this period and the Edwardian time period can easily be found without any gemstone accents, if that is your preference.

With reproduction engagement rings, you are getting a piece of jewelry that has been made over and over again. It is not one of a kind as in the older time periods. Another thing to take into consideration is the clunky heavy look. You will not find the delicate workmanship of times gone by in new reproduction rings. And finally the new reproduction engagement rings are made by manufacturers that add their price on to the price of the ring. With vintage engagement, rings there is no middle man.

If you are asking for my opinion, the answer would be to purchase the actual vintage ring. You are getting a delicate one of a kind period piece of jewelry without all the tacked on prices of manufacturers. You will find vintage engagement rings at estate jewelry stores such as Gesner Estate Jewelry.

If a diamond engagement ring fluoresces “faint” or “weak” the effect on the diamond color grade or value is negligible. If it is graded as “more intense” or “very strong” fluorescence, it will affect the value negatively.

If a diamond engagement ring has “medium” fluorescence, it can change the body color grade ½ to 1 color grade different than its actual color; if “strong” by 1-2 color grades and if “very strong” by 3-4 color grades. If the stone fluoresces whiter than it actually is under UV lighting, you may be paying too much. If it fluoresces temporarily lower in color you may be paying less than what it is worth. As it relates to fluorescence, if you are paying less, you are getting a higher color graded vintage diamond ring than it actually shows. Using a professional gemologist to grade your diamond engagement ring with UV free lighting will give you the true grade of the diamond which determines its actual value.

If you are considering a one carat diamond engagement ring with “very strong” fluorescence and is color graded at E, you can expect the actual color to be H-I. That would be three color grades difference and will cost considerably different. A non-fluorescent internally flawless clarity and E color would cost you $14,700 per carat for a one carat as of September 2011 and a non-fluorescent internally flawless clarity and I color would cost $6300 per carat for a one carat. If your stone is not priced accordingly taking fluorescence into consideration, find another diamond.

If a diamond is priced right, there is nothing wrong with a fluorescent diamond.

White or Colorless Sapphire vs. Diamond

It’s easy to find Colorless or White Sapphires. More often you will find colored sapphires of every shade in the rainbow. White or colorless sapphires may have hints of gray, yellow, brown and traces of blue. The closer a sapphire comes to colorless, the more value it has.

In the 1990’s, white or colorless sapphires became the substitute for diamonds. They actually doubled in price in an 18 month period at one time during the 90’s. Later, the demand for this diamond substitute declined and so did the value. Today a colorless sapphire can sell for $10 per carat. Although it can be an attractive stone, it doesn’t compare to the brilliance of the old European cut or Round Brilliant of today.

Cubic Zirconia (CZ) vs. Diamond

A cubic zirconia is usually clear and flawless, but has little value. It gets cloudy easily as dirt shows with wear. CZ’s have a hardnest of 8 out of 10 on the Mohs scale and is a brittle stone.

There is a little trick you can do to tell whether a stone is a CZ or a diamond. Draw a line on a piece of paper. Place the stone on top of the line. If you can see the line through the stone, it is a CZ.

Moissanite vs. Diamond

Mossanite was found in a meteorite in Arizona by Henri Moissan and was later lab created by Charles & Colvard. It has a hardness of 9.5 on the Mohs scale. Diamonds have a hardness of 10 and is cut like a Round Brilliant. Moissanite has a slightly greenish yellow tint and color will start at I. It has a high dispersion of light and costs half the price of diamonds. This stone is relatively clean but can have some man-made inclusions.

European Cut Diamonds and Round Brilliant Cut Diamond

The European cut diamond enagagement was cut before the 1940’s. It is cut differently than a Round Brilliant. It has a smaller table, higher crown angles, a deeper pavilion and an open culet giving this diamond beautiful color. Generally, European Cut diamonds are color graded from D –Z. Clarity ranges from Flawless to Imperfect. This diamond is very popular now as the Round Brilliant cannot replace the unique and romantic antique diamonds in vintage settings.

The Round Brilliant cut diamonds have a larger table than the European cut diamonds and are cone shaped with a closed cutlet. Color dispersion is very good and ranges from D-Z. Clarity ranges from flawless to imperfect.

High quality diamonds, either the European Cut or the Round Brilliant Cut are more costly than colorless sapphires, cubic zirconia or moissanite and are worth every penny.

Platinum is one of the rarest metals on earth. This precious metal comes out of the ground pure white. Some of the most delicately made vintage engagement rings and jewelry is made in platinum.

Eighty percent of platinum production comes from Africa. During times of economic stability, platinum is twice as expensive as gold. Economic uncertainty brings the price of platinum down sometimes lower than gold.

The biggest benefit of platinum is that it is very tough. It is soft but tough and pliable. Platinum is resistant to wear. Just look at vintage rings that are one hundred years and older. They look brand new, untouched by time. Should you have an accident with a platinum piece of jewelry it is resistant to knocks and would have little damage to the metal whereas, white gold tends to be brittle.

Platinum does not need to be rhodium plated unlike white gold. Rhodium is in the platinum group. Fourteen karat white gold is a little over half gold being mixed with other alloys such as nickel, zinc or other white metals whereas platinum is pure and heavier. As mentioned before, white gold needs to be rhodium plated to cover its yellowish cast and must be re-rhodium plated as it wears off. Vintage white gold is alloyed with different white metals than is used today. Today’s white gold uses alloys that gives white gold its yellowish tint. If you can find a platinum engagement ring that you like, that is the best way to go and is something that will last your lifetime and generations to come.

When considering your purchase of an antique engagement ring, there are four things to take into consideration-carat weight, color, clarity and cut.

Carat is a measure of weight for a diamond. The European Cut diamond as compared to a Round Brilliant of the same millimeter size can weigh as much as 10-15% more because of cut. (See the Cut paragraph for more details.) Most diamonds are under one carat and are measured in points. One hundred points are equal to one carat, (1.00ct) whereas three quarters of a carat is equal to, (.75ct). Diamonds are usually purchased in “magic” numbers according to The Gemological Institute of America. Those “magic” numbers are .25ct, .50ct, .75ct and 1.00ct. As it relates to size, a 1.00ct engagement ring vs. a .90ct is not discernable to the naked eye, but its cost is considerably more expensive. When purchasing your diamond ring, just stay under the carat mark and you will save quite a bit of money.

Color is graded from D-F which is colorless to Z which is light yellow.

D-F Colorless

G-J Near Colorless

K-M Faint Yellow

N-Z Very Light to Light Yellow

After Z Fancy Yellow

A great place to be when purchasing your diamond is in the Near Colorless range because the eye can hardly differentiate between Colorless to Near Colorless. Your European Cut vintage engagement ring can easily go to the M in the color range because the cut of this diamond camouflages its color beautifully and it will face up white.

Clarity ranges from Flawless to highly Imperfect according to The Gemological Institute of America and the grading takes into consideration the size of the inclusion, crystals or blemishes and its location. Grading is done with 10x magnification and assumes it is graded by a trained diamond specialist. The grading is as follows:

FL Flawless

IF Internally Flawless

VVS Extremely difficult to see

VS Slightly difficult to somewhat easy to see

SI Easy to see or eye visible

I Imperfect diamonds, heavily included and can affect durability

A great place to be all things considered is in the VS to SI1 range.

Cut refers to the faceting and not to shape – oval and princess cut, for example. Basically, when referring to the cut of a diamond, we can focus our thoughts on two different styles, the Round Brilliant and the European Cut diamond. The European Cut diamond, from the 19th century and earlier, is characteristically different from the 20th century Round Brilliant Cut. It has fewer facets and is hand cut in a way that enhances color and gives beautiful brilliance. The table of a European Cut is smaller than the Round Brilliant. The crown angles are higher making it heavier on top than the Round Brilliant of the same millimeter size. The thicker girdle is not faceted. The pavilion is deeper and the culet is open. It does not come to a point as it does today. It was designed to bring light in from the top and reflect back if looking at the diamond from the top. All of these factors taken into consideration improve the color. The European Cut is very popular now, as the Round Brilliant Cut diamonds cannot replace the unique and romantic antique diamonds in vintage settings today.

Round Brilliant Cut diamonds were created by Marcel Tolkowsky and are cut to very specific calculations. They are more cone-shaped than the European Cut diamonds and have 58 or more facets. The table is larger and the girdle, which is the section that separates the table from the pavilion, is faceted. The pavilion is not as high and it does not have a culet. It comes to a point on the bottom. Polish and symmetry are also taken into consideration and every facet has the potential to change the rays of light giving it a lot of brilliance.

New ways of cutting stones and the use of platinum in the making of diamond jewelry and especially diamond engagement rings was the fashion.

In 1901 Queen Victoria died and Edward VII became king of England. His wife, Princess of Wales, Alexandria became the Queen and she had already demonstrated her fashion style and trend in jewelry. Grace and sophistication prevailed and the style of fashion was lace, silk and feathers for women.

Antique engagement rings and jewelry of this period were created with designs of bows, honeycomb pattern, flower garland and scalloped edges that looked like lace were mostly in platinum. The use of milligrain, tiny lines of beads on platinum engagement rings and other jewelry with invisible settings was heavily used.

Although diamond engagement rings and jewelry was the most popular, jewelry with colored stones such as sapphire of any color, emeralds and rubies were often used to accentuate the jewelry. Hat pins and watch fobs were often used and were made of precious metal and gemstones, as well as faux gemstones and gold or silver plating. Just as women enjoy long strands of pearls today, long pearl strands with tassels known as the negligee style were often sought-after. Circles, stars and crescent brooches made with pearls, diamonds and platinum were always a part of a woman’s jewelry wardrobe. Snake rings and multiple bracelets were also well liked. Tiaras made of pearls, diamond and platinum along with long dangle earrings was favored. Feathers as an accent used with platinum scrollwork were also the fad. The colored stones of purple amethyst, green peridot and white pearls together represented the suffragette movement.

As you can see, The Edwardian Period was a time of high style and elegance and the jewelry of this time period is still highly recognized today.

The lure of timeless beauty and sophistication enhance the unique design and rare craftsmanship of a previously owned piece of estate or vintage jewelry.

When buying estate and vintage jewelry, you are cutting out the middlemen by not buying from manufacturers where gold and platinum is at a premium. When you find a trusted jeweler that specializes in this kind of jewelry, you have found a treasure. Value comes in many ways. Your jeweler buys from attorneys that handle estates, from auctions, from contacts close and far and from individuals that come to the store to sell what they don’t need or want anymore.

It’s easy to find jewelry that is priced well and is unique. Once again, your estate jeweler has set up his/her store to carry the unique and one-of-kind. You can find things from as early as the Georgian Period, (1714-1830) to current times. Estate jewelry means previously owned jewelry and you have a lot to pick from. From Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, Art Nouveau, Art Deco Periods to current times, each offers its unique design. The Georgian Period is known for its design of nature including flowers, birds, feathers and ribbon. It was also know for “en tremblant” where the item is mounted on a spring to make it look like, for example, a butterfly that trembles. The Victorian Period is known for its flowers and animal themes which were delicate, as well as heavier jewelry made with colorful gemstones like peridot, amethyst, turquoise and garnet to name a few. The Art Nouveau Period is also known for its flowers, scrolls and shapes of women. The Edwardian Period is known for its use of platinum with bows, scalloped edges and filigree that looked like lace. Art Deco Period is known for its filigree, especially in diamond engagement rings. Synthetic sapphires and emeralds were also used in all kinds of rings especially diamond engagement rings. When you see more modern jewelry, you will notice that it will have a heavier look with more geometric shapes and not quite as much detail. If you purchase designer rings you may get more detail but it won’t be as delicate and light as vintage jewelry. You’ll find jewelry that is fairly priced, unique and contains finer craftsmanship when you buy estate and vintage jewelry. Nothing beats the flowing designs, for instance, of the Art Nouveau Period. If you are looking for value, uniqueness and craftsmanship, you need look no further. Estate and Vintage jewelry is for you.

When it comes to Edwardian Jewelry, engagement rings have become some of the most coveted items with brides-to-be. Ladies that value the elegance of the era can truly appreciate the design and attention to detail that distinguishes Edwardian rings from today’s more contemporary jewelry. These neo-classical styles of the early 20th century make Edwardian engagement rings some of the most exciting pieces of jewelry for any woman to appreciate.

Value of Edwardian Style Engagement Rings

Whether you are looking to buy or sell an Edwardian engagement ring, you can be sure that you are dealing with something that is very special. Gesner Estate Jewelry specializes in early 20th century Edwardian and Art Deco platinum and has a very large inventory to choose from.

If you are interested in selling your jewelry, you will definitely want to consider bringing it in to one of our two locations in the Tampa Bay area. Our associates will be very happy to evaluate your jewelry and make you a very fair offer.

Types of Edwardian Engagement Rings

Even though Edwardian rings are hard to find, there are still many options when it comes to the various styles that one has to choose from. Many of these elegantly hand crafted rings offer a variety of settings and stones which make them extremely unique. These Edwardian rings later become heirlooms due to their amazing detail and beauty. Many hours of design and craftsmanship went into this jewelry and those efforts will be appreciated for years to come.